NDTV Ban row: Lalu accuses BJP of creating Emergency-like situation in India

A 24-hour ban was imposed on NDTV India for breaching television norms while covering the Pathankot terror attack

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday hit out at the BJP-led central government for the one-day ban handed over to NDTV India, terming it an attack on democracy and said there was an "Emergency-like situation" in the country.

"Today you have seen what has happened to NDTV, they (government) said that you (channel) showed the Pathankot terror attack," Lalu said, addressing the silver jubilee celebrations of the Samajwadi Party in Lucknow.

"Ban on NDTV is an attack on democracy. This country is heading towards dictatorship," he said, adding "There is an Emergency-like situation in the country."

Lalu said that since NDTV channel "exposes certain people", it has been targeted by the government.

His remarks came after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting directed the Hindi news channel to go off air for a day.

The 24-hour ban on NDTV India will be effective from November 8 midnight for allegedly breaching cable television norms in its coverage of the terror attack at the Pathankot Air Force base on January 2 .

The RJD chief also asserted that there is no rift in the Samajwadi Party.

"There is no rift in the Samajwadi Party, and we gave proof by bringing Akhilesh Babu (Yadav) and Shivpal Babu (Singh Yadav) together on stage," he said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, the SP state unit chief, have been at loggerheads since September.

He also said that people were feeling betrayed for voting the BJP to power. Lalu said that once again the BJP was trying to fan communal passions, and was starting to rake up the Ram temple issue as state assembly polls were in the offing.

Reminding the BJP of having stopped its Rath Yatra in Bihar in 1990, Lalu said, "We have stopped their rath in Patna, Samastipur and we will unitedly stop them again."

The former Bihar Chief Minister said that time had come for all secular parties to come together and oppose the BJP.

Lalu said his presence at the Samajwadi Party celebrations was aimed to "chase away" the BJP from Uttar Pradesh.

"We have come here to strengthen the Samajwadi Party. We have chased away BJP from Bihar. We will chase it away from Uttar Pradesh too," he remarked.